Running with Scissors

Project Runway, the reality television juggernaut that made Tim Gunn a star and took him from academia to the house of Claiborne just began its fifth season and as has been the case in most years, Otis has an alum in the mix.

Emily Brandle ('02) is one of 16 contestants vying for success in the weekly fashion challenges that eventually will land one designer $100,000 worth of seed money for their own line, a spot in ELLE magazine and all manner of fashion 'cred and web fame.

I think one mis-conception that some folks have about the series is that the contestants are new to the fashion industry. Sure you have the "self taught" entrants but most are grads of respected fashion programs and many have already achieved some level of notoriety in the field.

Brandle is no exception. Along with fellow alum Michelle Chaplin she designs under her own label Smoke and Mirrors and the blog Racked LA lists several of the other people and labels she has worked for including Jeremy Scott, Rozae Nichols and DKNY.

The show airs on Bravo Wednesdays at 9PM EST. Brandle has made it past the first challenge so tune in for the rest of the season to see how she does!

*image of Emily Brandle from BravoTV website episode 1 photo gallery, click on the image to see the rest of the gallery.

Nectar is Sweet on Otis Grad

Nectar, the Long Beach based product design company had a nice piece in their blog that highlights Otis alum Shaun Redsar (07), who recently joined their company as a designer. The post is very complimentary of both Redsar and the IPD program, citing the rigor of our program and skills of our grads-

In describing the program- "...the IPD program takes an artistic approach to design, training creators who “work in the gallery of the real world….” In Shaun’s case, this approach can be seen in some of the young designer’s creations, including the Sephira lamp and the Zygo teapot, both of which were crafted both as art objects for display in galleries, as well as products suitable for mass production."

And the benefits of making it through- "However, the rewards for taking this arduous journey are more than just a sense of accomplishment; IPD graduates have been hired by such outstanding companies as Apple, Disney, and, of course, Nectar."

I also enjoyed what Shaun had to say when talking about his experience at Otis- "I took as many classes at Otis that focused on the theory and issues of design as I did on the logistics of how to make it work in the real world. It all comes down to creating beautiful objects that improve the quality of life."

See more of Shaun's work here and learn more about IPD at Otis here.

image of Sephira lamp from Shaun Resdar website

Remembering Ralph Bacerra

Renowned ceramist Ralph Bacerra passed away on June 10th at his home in Eagle Rock. He was a long time member of the Otis Community, chairing the Ceramics program from 1983 to 1997.

His Los Angeles Times obituary included the following quote in reference to his piece Teapot (part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum collection)- "The piece was not created to brew tea but to be enjoyed as a purely visual and tactile experience..." Reading that reminded me of our teapot project in the Interactive Product Design program where form, rather than function was the primary intent.

Long represented by Frank Lloyd Gallery, Bacerra made work to be enjoyed rather than analyzed. In an interview for the Smithsonian oral history project he said, "I am not making any statements- social, political, conceptual, or even intellectual. There is no meaning or metaphor. I am committed more to the idea of pure beauty. When it is finished, the piece, should be like an ornament, exquisitely beautiful."

Apart from his own words, the idea was probably best described in a 1999 New York Times review by Ken Johnson- "To look at Ralph Bacerra's gorgeous ceramic vessels is to wallow in visual hedonism. Mr. Bacerra, an immensely skilled craftsman based in Los Angeles, does not try to express any important meaning, social, psychological, philosophical or otherwise. His works are witty and sophisticated in their manipulation of influences ranging from Japanese to early modernist to Pop, but mainly he wants to delight the eyes of his viewers."

Image of Teapot from Smithsonian American Museum website

Poetic Ponder

In his blog Airform Archives, Otis alum Steve Roden muses about the world of sound, the spoken word, artists and their work just to name a few. In this post from 4 June, he featured the thoughts of another alum- Robert Irwin in the context of Irwin's consideration of the southwestern desert.

Culled from a 1981 LACMA catalog, Irwin's quote is simple in its words but very rich in the mental image it encourages:

"it's a place where you go along for awhile, and there seems to be nothing happening... it's all just flat desert, you know, no particular events, no mountains or trees or what have you. and then all of a sudden it just takes on this sort of - i mean it's hard to explain, but it takes on almost a magical quality. it just suddenly stands up and almost hums, it becomes so beautiful...incredibly, the presence is so strong. then in twenty minutes it will simply stop. and i began to try and wonder why - what those events were really about - because they were so close to my interest, the quality of the phenomena"

Living in Los Angeles it's good to be reminded that this place that is so built up once was just as Irwin described.

Enjoy.

Fab Fashion

Otis' 2008 Scholarship Benefit Show, a runway event that showcases the best of the Fashion Department's junior and senior work had a great write up on FashionWeekDaily! Described by writer Jennifer Chan as "...one of LA's biggest and brightest nights in fashion..." and held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, the evening raised over a million dollars for scholarship support.

Fashion at Otis has long been known for connecting established designers with students in a mentor relationship. This quote from Chan's story is a good example of why those relationships mater:

"John Varvatos, who flew in from another successful store opening in San Francisco, was all smiles. "They really put on a show here; it's a big night for everyone. It's great to see the passion and energy backstage, and what Rosemary Brantley does for the program is phenomenal," said Varvatos, who sat next to one of his own designers and Otis alumnus, Marcus LeBanc. 'I hired him right out of the program two years ago after he won the men's wear category. I've got my eye on a few standout students this year.'"

Let's Go Dutch

Otis and the Sandberg Institute in Holland are holding an joint exhibition this month in support and celebration of the two schools' new exchange program.

Curated by Otis alum Sojung Kwon, the exhibition features her work and that of six other Otis artists:

• Katherine Burmester
• Eric Medine
• Chris Oatey
• Matt Warren
• Bree Yelenavitch

It runs in conjunction with the fair De Kunstvlaii and is open 10 to 18 May.

Twenty Questions with Trine

Well it's 18 questions actually...

Art blogger Claudio Parentela recently interviewed Otis alum Trine Wejp-Olsen ('94) about her studio practice, her path to art school and what advice she would share with the next generation of artists.

Some of my favorite responses include:

(as to why she wanted to become an artist)-
"My Dad is a cartoonist (Werner Wejp-Olsen), and as he had his studio at home, growing up I watched him do his cartoons, and I guess the idea of becoming an artist for a living never seemed difficult or daunting…Being naive sometimes is a good thing."

(describing her first year at Otis)-
"The school has a bit of a boot camp first year, where they load a lot of work on you, and in as many disciplines as possible. I discovered within this first year that what I meant to do was to express my voice through imagery. I found it to be too limiting to be hired by someone else as an illustrator to express his or her point of view or need. And therefore I ended up in the fine art department concentrating on painting instead."

(the materials she uses when making work)-
"I work with oil on canvas + watercolor, color pencil and sometimes milk paint on paper. For sculpture work I use all kinds of materials, fabrics, plaster, and my last sculpture was a bronze."

(what she would tell a young artist)-
"There is no right or wrong in art, so don’t be afraid of mistakes, they often turns out as successes."

The complete interview is available at Parentela's blog- Elvis in Hawaii

image- Blue Monkey, 2007 oil on canvas 16" x 20" from the Trine Wejp-Olsen website

Gains Through Greening

Happy Earth Day! Otis has been working toward being a leader in sustainable living. Some of the efforts to date include the incorporation of environmental projects into many of the Integrated Learning courses, the hosting of the Do it Now: Live Green exhibition in the Ben Maltz Gallery last summer and student clubs in both Fashion and IPD that are focused on sustainability.

Beyond college-wide efforts, many Otis folks making sustainable living a part of their daily lives. A good example is Fine Arts Associate Professor Holly Tempo. She was one of several Brewery art colony residents featured in a LA Times article on gardening. The story chronicled the efforts of the artists to create urban gardens, often with found plants. Describing Tempo's own garden writer Paula Panich said "She presides over a small but aesthetically balanced and ordered garden of specimen plants in well-chosen metallic containers. Her flowering palette begins with yellows and oranges and reds and moves to purple as the seasons change."

In citing one of the environmental benefits of her garden Tempo commented "It's a great way to unwind. Plus, plants absorb toxic air- and they are (a) really visible joy."

So recycle a bottle, turn off a light or carpool today, every little bit helps.

An Eddy for Mounger

Otis Foundation Associate Professor Christian Mounger was honored along with other local teachers last night at the 2008 "Eddy" awards, which where held at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton. Sponsored by the LAX Coastal Area Chamber of Commerce, the annual awards recognize outstanding educators from each of the schools in the Chamber's area.

Mounger, who has been teaching at Otis since 1994, was recognized for his contributions to the Foundation program's curriculum and his dedication to his students.

Saar Says Come Hither

Noted Otis alum Allison Saar's latest solo show "Hither" at L.A. Louver, which closed yesterday received a lot of attention including a strong review from Leah Olman in last Friday's Los Angeles Times.

In a nod to Saar's influence on the local art scene Olman said "...Saar is one of the most significant sculptors working today, and her shows tend to be serious occasions." The review concludes with "Saar's forms register immediately in the body as well as the soul. For all their wonderous physicality, they are elegantly poetic; for all their knowing eloquence, they endow silence with presence."

You can find another substantial write up about the show in the March issue of ArtScene.


Image of Hither detail from L.A. Louver website

Toy Story Told in Toy Book

Otis has one of only three Toy Design programs in the United States and it is featured (along with FIT) in the March 2008 edition of The Toy Book, an industry magazine for the toy industry.

The article lauded the impact the two programs have had on the industry- "Both feature professors still active in the industry, various internship opportunities, and a job placement rate for graduates that can't be beat." And- "The toy industry is one in which a new trend is declared the next best thing before you've even had a chance to turn around. The importance of that child giggling at home with Elmo, however, is one aspect that will be around 10, 20 or even 100 years from now. The Toy Industry 101 textbook may not have a specific chapter on this, but learning it early and having it reinforced often are things that make those who spend the two years at Otis or FIT very valuable for the future of play.

This piece is just the latest in a series that have highlighted the success of our Toy program and it is especially gratifying for the students' work to be acknowledged by the industry whose future they will shape.

Photo Otis Toy seniors courtesy of Candice Lavin and Otis Toy Design Flickr pages

A Brief Pause for Poultry

In 1978 Otis alum Jeffrey Vallance buried a store-bought chicken in a pet cemetery. "Blinky" as the bird was known, was given a "proper" burial complete with a service and a headstone.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Blinky's burial and subsequent exhumation (conducted in 1988 to mark the 10th anniversary), Vallance created a chapel inside Track 16 Gallery.

Paul Young from the Los Angeles Times talked with Vallance about the project in the 03-06 edition of The Guide's "60 Seconds With..." section. The exchange included this question from Young and response from Vallance-

What's the Strangest Reaction to Blinky That You've Ever Seen or Heard of?
"Several people have told me that they stopped eating chicken. which makes sense because I was a vegetarian when I performed the piece 30 yeas ago. I didn't eat meat for health reason and because I was against the inhumane treatment of animals. Similar to the Unknown Soldier, Blinky represents all chickens that have been slaughtered for the dinner table."

The chapel and accompanying exhibition remain on display through April 5th.

A Complimentary Compare and Contrast

The thrust of Holly Meyer's February 29 review in the Los Angeles Times of the parallel solo shows at Carl Berg Gallery is that the two artists- Megan Williams and 2005 Otis grad Jessica Minckley are products of their respective generations and their work is reflective of those separate times. Williams coming of age in the turbulent 70's versus Minckley arriving in an art scene that is "booming; LA has become a widely respected art capital; galleries are sweeping up artists right out of school..."

Despite the significant differences that result from those two generations, Meyers found much to like about both shows. Of Minckely she said, "...has a much lighter approach: Her exhibition is quiet, delicate and contemplative. Each piece feels considered and specific in nature, a sequence of discrete conceptual statements..." And "The most enchanting works are the simplest: a series of pattern-oriented drawings made on the epigraph pages of books; a ceiling high stack of pink cake boxes; a MormonAd (a poster distributed by the Mormon Church) coated with a thick crust of salt. Concise yet enigmatic, each has the air of a meditative excercise."

Both shows close this Saturday- March 8.

Jessica Minckley
Untitled2007
Cake boxes
125 x 9 3/4 x 9 3/4 inches

From Carl Berg Gallery

Remembering Milford Zornes

Otis alum and noted watercolor painter Milford Zornes '27 passed away on February 24th at his home in Claremont. As noted in his obituary from the Claremont-Courier he was "the last living artist in the small but elite group of California Scene Painters." As noted in the The Oaklahoman, this group of painters were "credited with elevating watercolor to a legitimate art form..."

After completing his studies at Otis, which including taking classes from Millard Sheets, he completed a Bachelor's degree at Pomona College. Upon leaving college he taught art at several schools, including at Otis.

According to the Los Angeles Times he maintained an active artistic practice until the very end of his life- "He continued painting and teaching into his 90s, completing a mural for East Los Angeles College in 2004. He gave his last public demonstration in January at the opening of an exhibit celebrating his 100th birthday at the Pasadena Museum of California Art..."

As part of the College's Legacy Project, Mr. Zornes was interviewed last November and I have included it here.

Illustrating Influence

This week's Los Angeles Times Magazine is the spring fashion issue. It's full of Otis mentions including a nice piece about Ruben and Isabel Toledo written by Rose Apodaca. It's a nice plug for the upcoming "Inside the Designer's Studio" series that Fashion Chair Rose Brantley hosts- the next installment featuring her discussion with the Toledos on March 11th- but my favorite part of the piece is Isabel's response to Apodaca's question about why they have worked with our students so often-

"To us, the spirit of California is unique." (I) tell the students "Search your soul for your identity. Allow necessity to be the mother of invention and remember that, for a creator, time in obscurity is a blessing. It allows you to incubate your ideas."

Futbol Fashion Feature

Several Otis juniors in the Fashion Department are creating the new uniform designs for the Brazilian national soccer team. The project is being done in conjunction with Nike. Yesterday there was a fitting for the uniforms and local news channel KNBC4 was there to capture it!

Take a look:

Otis Fashion on KNBC4

Serving Up Support for the Santa Monica Musuem

Last week's Home section of the Los Angeles Times included this item- Otis alum Gajin Fujita was one of 12 artists commissioned by the Santa Monica Museum to create a limited edition plate in honor of the museum's 20th anniversary. At a cost of $2000 each set and with only 125 being made, it's doubtful that folks will be serving dinner on them though!

image from Los Angeles Times website by photographer Carlos Chavez

Juno May Get the Oscar but Otis May Get the Most Eyeballs

Shadowplay, the Los Angeles based studio created the opening title sequence for the multi-Oscar nominated film Juno. The sequence has received some buzz of its own including this interview with Shadowplay's co-founder Gareth Smith:

The Submarine Channel interview

Otis has worked with the folks at shawdowplay several times, most notably in the creation of our video "Discover Otis." They report that is one of the most viewed pieces on their site and it's been very successful for us!

One Year of Observing Otis

One year ago today I started The "O" Observed. It has been a wonderful experience to find and blog about Otis in the media, in museums and galleries and other places out in the world.

With a year's worth of posts I've only scratched the surface. For every post I make there are three more I could if I had more time.

I'm looking forward to another year of observing Otis and I hope you are too.

Cheers,

Marc

Otis in the OC and Endangered Species

This weekend I was at the Laguna Art Museum's Auction 100 event, which raised money for their exhibition and education programs. It was quite a fun evening and Otis was well represented with works sold from alums Billy Al Bengston, Sandow Birk, Kavin Buck, Adam Mars and Pattsi Valdez. In addition the evening's piece that fetched the highest price, nearly $30,000 was by another Otis alum, John Altoon.

I also caught the opening of the new group show Endangered Species at Santa Monica College's Pete and Susan Barrett Art Gallery (part of their new Performing Arts Center). It includes work by Otis grads Sarah Perry and Peter Zokosky along with Otis faculty member Robin Palanker. The show remains on view through March 8th.

John Altoon "Untitled" 1959